Three killed, two injured as building collapses in Secunderabad

Hyderabad: Three persons died and two others sustained injuries after a portion of a building collapsed in the busy Monda Market in Secunderabad today, police said.

The incident occurred at around 3.30 pm when slabs of the three-storied building, which was being demolished for constructing a new structure, suddenly collapsed on some vendors on the road, they said.

"Bodies of three men were removed from the debris while two others who were trapped have been rescued," a senior police officer monitoring the rescue operation told PTI.

He said rescue efforts would continue as it is suspected that some more persons are feared trapped beneath the collapsed portion.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner A K Khan, who visited the area, said, "It's a clear case of negligence and police teams have been formed to nab the owners of the building, who are on the run."

Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority Vice Chairman and Sanathnagar MLA Marri Shashidhar Reddy, who inspected the relief and rescue operation, told reporters that if disaster management plan was in place, it could have speeded up the rescue work.

"Action will be initiated against the builders responsible for the incident," he said.